The invention is directed to a process for the production of silver (III) oxide by anodic oxidation of silver salts in aqueous solutions with current densities of 40 to 2000 A/m.sup.2.
There is described in the "Zeitschrift fur anorganische und allegemeine Chemie, Vol. 322 (1963), pages 286 to 296" a process for the production of silver (III) oxide phases by anodic oxidation of silver salts in aqueous solution. Thereby dilute AgNO.sub.3, AgF, and AgClO.sub.4 solutions are oxidized anodically at a pH between 3 and 4 and at room temperature with a current density between 40 and 100 A/m.sup.2. Thereby, there is obtained a cubic face centered oxide phase of the "ideal composition" Ag.sub.2 O.sub.3, which is stable, however, only in the presence of foreign ions and in which Ag.sup.3+ and Ag.sup.+ ions are present in various proportions. Apparently, hereby clathrates were obtained, as is mentioned in "Gmelin Handbuch, System No. 61, part B1(1971) pages 120-121." Silver(III) oxide has previously not been produced in pure form.
Therefore, it was the problem of the present invention to develop a process for the production of silver (III) oxide by anodic oxidation of a silver salt in aqueous solution at a current density of 40 to 2000 A/m.sup.2 which permits the recovery of pure silver (III) oxide.